Manufacture of wrenches



(No Model.)

A. D. GATES.

MANUFACTURE OF WRENGHES.

No. 397,794. Patented Feb. 12, 1889.

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UNITED STATES ATENT ALFONSO l). GATES, OF (LEVELANQ ()HTO.

MANUFACTURE OF WRENCHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 397,794, dated February 12, 1889.

Application filed June 6, 1888. Serial No. 276,205. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFONSO D. GATES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of casting the body and fixed jaw constituting one entire piece and the movable jaw another piece.

I am of course aware that wrenches have been made by riveting pieces of metal together; but in forming the hollow-bodied wrenchfor example, such as is shown in the accompanying drawingsthe method is to cast the wrench in its entirety, as above described; but by the process of casting only a cast-metal product is possible, and this metal has been demonstrated by experience not to 3 cess of forging with the side grooves, e, on its be the best suited to the severe strain and rough usage to which a m onkey-wreneh is sub jectcd. This insufficiency in cast steel or iron to produce a wrench having the strength and quality that is demanded has long been recognized, and it is the purpose of my invention to provide a wrench which avoids these obj eetions, and which is cheaper than the cast-metal wrench, and in every other way more desirablc, as well as more serviceable.

To this end the invention consists in making awrench by a process of drop-forging, all as hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a wrench which is the product of my process. Fig. 2 shows the longitudinal sections of the wrench-body and fixed j awas they come from the forge in readiness to be united. Fig. 3 is a forged blank for the movable jaw, shown folded or closed in Fig. i, and in condition to be welded 110- gether upon the meeting surfaces.

, nearly in two and unfolded.

In carrying out my process of making a wrench I may use iron, steel, or other equally strong and serviceable metal. This metal is cut into the required lengths from pieces provided for the purpose, and then put into a forge having dies which will give the desired shape when the 'forging is completed. For example, take the form shown in Fig. 2, where the two halves constituting the body and fixed jaw are exact duplicates of each other, and are forged with the sectional chamber a, the section of jaw 11, handle-shank c,recess d, and other features of construction therein exactly as they are wanted, so that when the sections thus formed are welded together a perfectly solid wrench is made out of a metal not possible in any process of casting, and which, by reason of its superior strength and wearing qualities, can be made lighter than the same size of wrench in cast metal.

A corresponding process is followed in producing the movable jaw. The form of this part after it comes from the forgeis shown in Fig. 3. Here it will be seen that the jaw is forged in a single piece with equal halves flattened out, just as if the jaw were split It has the desired shape and weight given it in the prounder side, adapting it to the flanges g of the body. It also shows a groove, it, in which I lay a rod when the wings of the jaw are folded for welding, and which gives size and shape to the opening 7; for the screw-bolt connected with and serving to operate the said jaw. The groove 72 is not indispensable, as the folding might be effected without it; but it is exceedingly convenient, as a rod should be used to form the hole 7:, and a groove facilitates the work and helps to make the bend at the right place.

It will be understood from the foregoing descriptionthat the invention lies in drop-forging the sections or parts of the wrench and afterward welding and brazing the parts togethcr, so as to form a perfectly solid and durable tool. The form of wrench made, of course, is not material. I have shown one form in the drawings; but other forms may be adopted, and, if preferred, the body part may be made out of a single piece, just as the re movable jawis shown to be, and then folded toam enabled to employ the toughest kind of i iron or steel, and by forging both the inside and outside of the pieces can get any shape I want. This enables me to make a lighter wrench than by casting, as well as a stronger one, and hence a better wrench in every particular. The differences in the weight of material both in the use of the wrench and in the initial cost of stock are highly important considerations, while the process of manufacture also is cheaper than casting. Altogether the product is a highly-iniproyed article of part when complete, the sections constituting manufacture.

In using the term sections in this dc- 1 scription and the claims I mean the halves or opposite portions of any part, whether} they are forged separately orin a single piece. 1

In carrying out the invention any process of hammering or forming by the use of dies may be employed, and is understood to be covered by the foregoing description and the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim. as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In the manufacture of wrenches, the method herein described, consisting, first, in cutting the metal from which the parts are made in to suitable blanks, then drop-forging or hammering the blanks into the shape of sections of the complete wrench, and then unit.- ing the said sections, and thus finishing the wrench, substantially as set forth.

2. In the manufacture of wrenches, the method of making the same, consisting in drop-forging or hammering the blanks, formin g each part of the wrench into sections having the form of longitudinal sections of the the body of the wrench having cavities to form the inside chamber and projections to form the fixed jaw, substantially set forth.

ALFONSO D. GATES.

\Vitnesses:

JUNE T. COREY, H. T. FISHER. 

